HLoM: The Firebird, Chapter 1

[Isabella]

Richard, still kneeling down by Feray, was taking the practical measure of binding her hands behind her back with strong knots, then tying them to her feet. "We ought-ought-ought to find the others who ran in-into the tunnels," he said quietly, his mind clearly elsewhere from the current dilemma.

After a moment he seemed to realize it, and said "I-I-I am sorry, Landsherr, but I-I-I know no way to reverse this-this fiendish transformation. She ought-ought to be judged - fairly - but decisively. Perhaps not-not by the Inquisition, but it must be done. For-for your own peace of mind."

"Perhaps this is-is the case for all down here," he added, finishing his grim handiwork. "There are-are strange magics in this land. This justice need not be bloody."*

*Translation: Every single NPC we've met seems to be 10th level so someone around here probably has Geas or Mark of Justice. If nothing else we can go buy a scroll. If these cultists are faced with "Curse or Tables" they'll probably take the curse.

Other Translation: We should probably not use the demon as a scapegoat and avoid addressing the rest of this cult, even if we address them in a much more lenient manner.

[The Whistler]

“Perhaps this is-is the case for all down here. There are-are strange magics in this land. This justice need not be bloody.”*

“Agreed,” Avram said, flatly. It was his first word in minutes that hadn’t been a theological quote. “And the magics are perhaps not so strange. We all of us are made with a purpose upon this earth, from the lowest to the most high.” A bow towards Yarek, still respectful. “It is willed that we fulfill our roles as best we are able. For some, that purpose may only be a lesson for others to learn from…”

A glance at Feray; then back again to Yarek. “But for those others…to end a role half-finished is hardly useful. Better that the purpose be discovered again, and seen for the treasure that it is.”

“Freiherr Blackwood, about the Inquisition…I see your wisdom, in what you say.”

[NeoTiamat]

"I really think that the less the Inquisition knows about this, the happier and healthier everyone is. I wish I knew what Vasili and Renhalt were telling them..." Lena mused, digging into her dress and pulling on a pair of gloves. "If we tell them of the Slaves of Iblis, they may start asking awkward questions. And they may not accept our answers about them."

"Sir Blackwood, if you like, I will accompany you to look for the others down here. Sir Marcel, would you take charge of the prisoner?" Lena said, picking up Feray's dropped sword in her now-gloved hand. She knelt by the prisoner and checked Richard's bonds, and slipped off a ring from one of Feray's fingers. "No point in leaving weapons in easy reach." Lena murmured under her breath. She looked around, then decided to hold onto the things for the moment. "Now where is... ah, Ushka. I can contribute her nose to rounding people up."

The fox opened one eye from where she'd been lying on the cold stone floor. Clearly, a familiar's work was never done. Ushka sighed.

[Nathan of the FoS]

Yarek raises an eyebrow as Lena secures the sword and tucks the ring away, then makes a "go ahead and take them" gesture. "You had better all stick with me until the hellhounds pass through," he notes. "They're well-trained and quite trustworthy, of course, but they may be a bit overexcited and they seem to dislike some of you. As for Ushka, she looks a bit unwell. I don't think she'll be needed."

He stares down at Feray, obviously mulling Richard's analysis of the situation. Finally he says, "She ought to be burned alive. You don't know what she did. What she is. Even now I want her. Even now." Glancing at Avram, he says, "You're a wise man, and a kind man, but..."

His sentence grinds to a halt, and when he speaks again it is on a different line of thought. "If the Inquisition is here, now, I don't see how they can fail to uncover something of this. They'll expect me to testify, and nothing could be worse for our House."

[Isabella]

"You had better all stick with me until the hellhounds pass through," he notes. "They're well-trained and quite trustworthy, of course, but they may be a bit overexcited and they seem to dislike some of you."

"Then I-I-I must go! If-if-if the hounds might harm those in the tunnels in-in their excitement-" Richard looked around for someone else to back him up, cutting himself off with a frustrated noise. He knew that he was the worst possible person to go out alone, given the hellhounds had a white hot hatred for him.

"You don't know what she did. What she is...." His sentence grinds to a halt, and when he speaks again it is on a different line of thought. "If the Inquisition is here, now, I don't see how they can fail to uncover something of this. They'll expect me to testify, and nothing could be worse for our House."

"I can see it. I-I-I know what she-what she is," Richard whispered to Yarek, then shook his head, as if to clear it.

"There are-are others upstairs... speaking to the-the Inquisition. I-I-I suppose we will find out soon enough, how they have-have succeeded," he said softly, declining to add his opinion on that state of affairs.

"It will-will be the duty of House Thott, then, to-to see justice done. Perhaps-perhaps you will not be the-the judge. But she will-will face it. For-for attacks upon yourself, Landsherr, and attacks upon your cousin, and attacks upon your guests." Richard frowned and idly rubbed his neck.

"That-that... would not be the-the church's business, I-I-I think?"

[NeoTiamat]

"If I may intrude..." Lena coughed self-consciously, clearing her throat. "I think this may not be the best time or place for elaborate discussions of theologically appropriate justice. We have a few things we must do, and do them swiftly."

"First, we should decide whether or not to keep Feray with us for later judgment, or slay her now." Lena said quietly. "If the Inquisition discovers us with the heresiarch, she is capable of causing us all a great deal of trouble. And if a succubus were to wake up, I imagine she can also cause us a great deal of trouble. My recommendation would be to render judgment now, as we have the Landsherr and three priests in attendance." Lena paused, and then lowered her head. "I'm sorry Yarek, that this had to happen to you."

"Secondly..." Lena sighed and continued. "We need to avoid the Inquisition for the time being. Landsherr, are there any good hiding places or alternative means of exit from these tunnels? Keeping the Landsherr away from the Inquisition is only a temporary solution, but that's what we need at the moment."

"Thirdly... at the very least, we need to keep House Thott from being directly connected to the Slaves of Iblis. For that we need to make sure we have in our control anyone who may identify the Landsherr." Lena continued more briskly. "Landsherr, is there anyone who can identify you as being present tonight? At the same time, while we move through the tunnels, we can collect other cultists and civilians, and the Landsherr's presence should ward off any hellhounds -- a humanitarian goal."

"Have I outlined matters well enough?" Lena asked. "Anything I'm missing?"

Nathan let me know if I should roll something to get Yarek to cooperate

[Kaitou Kage]

"It will-will be the duty of House Thott, then, to-to see justice done. Perhaps-perhaps you will not be the-the judge. But she will-will face it. For-for attacks upon yourself, Landsherr, and attacks upon your cousin, and attacks upon your guests." Richard frowned and idly rubbed his neck.

Altan smiled and bowed deferentially to Soren.

"It will be the pleasure of House Isfahani to assist in meting out justice, should House Thott desire our aid."

A bolder move than Altan usually made, but the sorcerer wanted to gain House Thott's good graces. The hellhounds could be useful allies during upcoming events.

[The Whistler]

"You're a wise man, and a kind man, but..."

“I thank you for your words, Landsherr — though they are undeserved.”

"Have I outlined matters well enough? Anything I'm missing?"

“And this is wisdom too, Freyin von Zarovich.” The hetman’s speech was still more direct than you were accustomed to, but now with a more deliberative cast. “I cannot disagree. Only, to think of this poor creature, this…” A glance at Feray, more pitying than anything.

“As it is said, all of us are made with a purpose. For me, I would hope that Arslan be brought to account in public; you see, I would hope that her purpose is to warn a hundred hundred others from the shadowed paths, and into the light of our Sovereign.”

“…But it is not for me to hope. And about agents of Myterri, there is only one thing that is said, and often. If a more public justice cannot be had, without putting all in danger, then…I will not protest.”

[Nathan of the FoS]

Yarek looks down at Feray, his face bleak. "Yes. Yes, we must punish…her. And the House, the House must escape without blame." A long pause, and then he says, most to himself, "We do not have the right of high justice over our households under the Autark's law. But…what does it matter?"

Staring down at the Rashemani woman, he draws his kukri and says in a cold, distant voice, "Feray Arslan, sergeant to the House Thott, as the head of House Thott I judge you guilty of teaching heresies. I judge you guilty of consorting with fiends and the practice of black magic. I judge you guilty of violating…children*...men and women. I judge you guilty of attempted murder. I judge you guilty of murder. I am an eye-witness to all these crimes, and these…priests, freiherrs and freyins are witness to many of them. For all these crimes and others your life is forfeit to the Iron Law."

Reaching down to her, he lifts her head by the hair and, in a single smooth gesture, cuts her throat to the spine.

He lets her body fall, then lifts his head to stare at you with unseeing eyes. After a long moment, he raises his kukri to his own throat and cuts.

*Sense Motive DC 15.

Dex check DC 13 to interfere with Yarek's suicide attempt.

[Isabella]

Richard moved, putting his gauntleted hand on Yarek's throat, the kukri giving a metal screech as it ground against metal and not human flesh. Richard winced at the noise but stepped forward, putting a hand on the young man's shoulder and using the other to grab Yarek's wrist. He glanced, stone-faced, back at Lena and Avram, then leaned down and whispered for a few moments in Yarek's ear, before gently trying to pry the knife out of Yarek's hands.

[DeepShadow of FoS]

"Excellent. Let us indeed make haste," Rastem says, and immediately begins to walk back into the Helholt, followed by Marcellus and the other inquisitors.

Vasili nods enthusiastically, but waits expectantly; he's already suggested that Rastem's haste should be to his mouth before his feet, and he looks to the other inquisitors imploringly as Rastem ignores his requests.

"And go where, exactly?" Helja asks coolly. "I am sorry I cannot make greater speed, Jernspogmaler Abtor, but I am somewhat indisposed. May I have your arm?"

"Indeed, I must insist we get at least a few directions," Vasili agrees. He moves with the group, but slowly.

"Frankly, Dommer," Renhalt says in a man-to-man tone, "I am somewhat surprised at your degree of confidence about your diagnosis of the situation. The Slaves of Iblis are notoriously drawn to haunts such as Ramulai and Sly-Var--it strains reason to think they'd find much to draw them out here."

Vasili watches his friend make use of the potion he drank a few moments ago. He catches Renhalt's eye for a moment, and nods. Keep it up. "Well, I at least know the location of my heretics--they're upstairs. I suppose I'll go keep an eye on them while all of you see to the more grievous matters."

Unless anyone else has need of him, Vasili withdraws a distance from the group. Once out of sight, he slips his hand to the side of his sarong and fingers a simple brass chain.

<It's time, my darling. I thought we'd get longer before playing this card, but it appears tonight we'll each be giving the performance of a lifetime.>

With a measured, cadenced breath and an arcane gesture, Vasili twists the brass chain against itself until a link breaks. As the broken link vanishes, Vasili's breath comes in gasps and shudders, and then steadies again. The life link has been severed.

In her tiny form, Leila has been poised to push past the boundaries of her arcane shackles, and has been sniffing out smells on the floor to know which way to go. Now unfettered, she races into the baths and crosses to the caves in a series of leaps. When a humanoid form appears ahead in the darkness, Leila stops short and takes the moment to resume full size.

"Well, well...I should have known. Scrambling for the light so soon, Horst?"

[NeoTiamat]

Lena was halfway through some manner of spell of her own when the kukri screeched across Richard's gauntlet-clad hand. Given her already pallid complexion, it was hard to tell, but it seemed that she blanched at Richard's harsh look, and could not bring herself to meet his eyes. She looked away, shoulders hunched. So much for my vaunted ability to read people Lena thought sourly.

[Nathan of the FoS]

After a minute or so Yarek releases the knife and lets it fall, ringing on the stone of the cave floor. Turning his face into Richard's shoulder, he sobs convulsively for what feels like a very long time.

Suddenly you hear the howls of the approaching hellhounds echoing dimly in the corridors behind you.

[NeoTiamat]

GM
"What…oh, I remember. The Borcan's…companion." Horst gives Leila a considering look, the wolf tattooed on his scalp almost seeming to lick its lips. "Fancy meeting you here…Leila, isn't it?"

Leila
Leila returns his considering look, her lip curling back on one side. "Glad I made an impression. You're actually a welcome sight. I was going to track them down into the caves by smell, but that's slow going. If I had a guide, I could get down there quicker, help avoid all this embarrassment with the inquisition. Could I persuade you?"

GM
"Can't say where they may have gotten to by this time," Horst replies dismissively. After a pause, he continues, in a slightly more conciliatory tone, "I met your, ah, master's friends in one of the main tunnels. Go straight through here, second left once you're down in the tunnels proper."

At this juncture the tete-a-tete is somewhat spoiled by howling. The hellhounds, followed closely by their keepers, are rushing through the baths, heading directly for the pair of you.

Leila
Leila smiles wide at Horst. "My thanks. You were always so helpful." At this point the two of them scatter, but not before Leila take a good assessment of his scent, to help track him later. As she follows the hounds down into the caves, she murmurs, "I hope to repay the favor one day."

[Isabella]

"We should-should go," Richard said quietly, keeping his arm around Yarek's shoulder. He looked over his shoulder at Feray. "Someone should take-take her."

With a click Richard brought Maya over to his side, and set to seeing if they could find the trail of the missing people over the stench of all that blood.